The Duty Of An Academy Student Should Be To Study - Chapter 86

Episode 86

From the afternoon Jasper left the capital, raindrops began to fall little by little. The rain clouds moving from east to west poured increasingly heavy rain. 

By nightfall, the sound of raindrops hitting the window was loud enough to fill the room.

‘If Jasper hadn’t left today, it would have been a big problem….’

Where could the train Jasper boarded be at this time? He should be arriving far to the west than the rain clouds. 

Rose naturally thought of Jasper Conway.

Jasper had said he would board a steamship from the western port and head somewhere northwest. He described it as a rugged place but didn’t specify the exact destination. He said she wouldn’t know even if she heard.

‘Where on earth is he going?’

Rose sighed and pulled the soft quilt a little more, covering up to her shoulders. Then she carefully took out the envelope hidden behind the pillow earlier.

‘It’s damp….’

Rose looked at the slightly wet edge of the envelope with a disappointed look.

As she was returning to the academy after the conversation with Adela, a drizzle started. She had hurriedly put it inside her jacket and ran, but some moisture had seeped in.

Rose still hadn’t read Jasper’s letter. Upon arriving at the dormitory, she was held back by Rebecca and Briley, who were waiting for her.

When she briefly mentioned what happened at the train station, Briley had said with a mixture of frustration and concern.

“So Rose Bell’s first love has finally begun.”

Rose calmly admitted her attraction to Jasper and expressed her emotions openly in front of Rebecca and Briley. It felt relieving and strange.

Now, she was worried about the future.

She was confused about whether to confess her feelings to Jasper or bury them.

It was complicated to just brush it off as falling for a guy at the age of nineteen, considering the complex circumstances surrounding her.

‘There’s hardly anything easy.’

Navigating life alone is difficult, and even her first love is this challenging.

Rose nervously took out Jasper’s letter. As she unfolded the folded letter, she saw messy handwriting filling the entire paper.

“Hmm.”

Rose suppressed the laughter that was about to burst out. Briley had been talking loudly for a while and had already fallen asleep.

Next to Rose’s bed was the music box lamp that Jasper had given her. It shone brightly, illuminating the letter in the dim room.

Rose slowly began to read the letter.

However, she stopped from the very first sentence. Rose absentmindedly wiped her name, written by Jasper, with her fingertips.

Until just before selling their title, Rose’s name was Rosalie Verden. She’s using her real name now. 

However, when Jasper simply called her ‘Rose,’ it felt strange as if she were being called by a nickname.

Pressing her burning cheek against her hand, Rose moved her gaze downward.

[Yeah, it makes no sense for you to be here at the right time. I guess it’s too much for your stamina. There’s no way Rose Bell would want to see me that much, right?

I’m writing, knowing I won’t give you this letter anyway.

Don’t overexert yourself while I can’t see you. Eat your meals and don’t get too close to Theo Lixton. It annoys me. Why? Just because I feel that way.

Is two months a short or long time? It feels strange to think that I’ll be completely apart from you during that time. I’ve never really been away from you except for this year.]

It felt really strange. Rose, while reading the letter, stopped midway through a sentence. There were traces of Jasper attempting to write a certain sentence and then erasing it. He had pressed hard, causing the paper around it to slightly crumple.

The smudged black ink seemed to reflect Jasper’s tension or unease. It was evidence that the letter wasn’t casually written but had some significance.

Rustle, Rose squirmed in the blanket suddenly. She felt a tingling sensation from her toes that was strangely pleasant.

Rose’s body gradually became more and more ticklish, and her face turned bright red to the point where her vision became blurry.

It felt like Jasper had written the letter without any intention of actually handing it over. This wasn’t the kind of thing he would say. Such explicit and tender words…

“Haah.”

Rose closed her eyes tightly as her head felt dizzy. She momentarily flipped the blanket over her head, nervously wiggling her feet, and then read the letter again.

[I should slowly go pack my stuff for the train. Take care for the next two months. But don’t be too happy or anything.

If you’re too happy even without me… it might annoy me a bit. Have a reasonably enjoyable vacation. 

You seem like you’ll be living in the lab. By the way, isn’t Theo Lixton going back to his hometown or something? Is that guy staying there forever?

What am I even writing here? It’s a letter I won’t give to you anyway. What if I happen to see you before I leave? Give this to you? Nah, forget it. That would be too embarrassing.

No, I’ll just give it to you. I’ll have to bear the embarrassment two months from now.

If this letter reaches you, it means that Rose Bell, the model student, ran to Central Train Station as soon as her exams were over, because she wanted to see me, to see me off.

So, the Rose Bell reading this sentence right now…

I think she might like me quite a bit. What do you think, Rose?

Think hard during the vacation. I hope you don’t stop thinking about me. And if you truly fall in love, it’ll be even better.

With affection, Jasper.]

It was a long letter. Jasper had diligently filled a whole page with his messy handwriting.

Rose read to the end, but she couldn’t easily put the letter into the envelope. She kept finding herself rereading it. 

It was hard to believe that Jasper Conway, of all people, wrote such words.

Certain sentences made sparks ignite in her heart every time she read them. It felt like a tiny firework show was happening inside her heart. 

Sometimes, it felt prickly and sharp. Her whole being was awake.

“What should I do….”

Rose murmured unknowingly. She likes Jasper Conway.

If she were to fall for Jasper as her heart desired… what would be waiting for her afterward? 

It wouldn’t be peaceful.

Emotions and reason. Fantasy and reality. She couldn’t hastily determine which side would win.

* * *

Two days later, Jasper walked to the beach where the West End was anchored. It was a steamship traveling between several port cities situated along the Republic’s Terion Bay, passing through the western coast of the Lepti Empire.

Approaching the ticket inspector, Jasper showed his steamship ticket. His destination was the second port of call for the West End, the city of Valloch.

It was a journey of about three days on a steamship powered by mana engines. Just a decade ago, hardly anyone would have predicted that steamships would become this fast.

With the increase in routes, the number of ships floating on the sea had multiplied, without needing warships or cruise ships. As the means of transportation drastically sped up, the world became much closer.

From the Empire’s capital to Valloch Harbor, it was just a one-way trip of barely five days. However, Jasper felt like it had been ten days. It had been five whole days since he last saw Rose Bell.

‘I’m going on a mission given by His Majesty, and I can’t contact her casually.…’

Jasper, heading to the luxurious cabins of the steamship, had a stern expression that exuded an intimidating aura. Wearing the everyday clothes of a nobleman, not a school uniform, Jasper didn’t look like a nineteen-year-old at all.

Having completed his growth, coupled with his daily physical training, his body was robust. It seemed like a sculpture perfectly chiseled with a flawless plan. As Jasper made his way to the cabin, the gazes of those around him were fixed on him.

Jasper, who appeared arrogant and devoid of humanity, had a mind far from actual coldness. It was filled with the image of Rose Bell. 

Yes, Jasper was sulking simply because he couldn’t see Rose.

As Jasper walked weakly into the cabin, he sat on the bed without even thinking about unpacking.

‘To keep Rose Bell by my side, I have to be away from her.’

As he thought about it, it felt unfair.

“Damn it….”

This was unfair. How important were titles and prestige as a noble, and couldn’t you even marry the person you wanted?

To break free from the influence of the family, Jasper believed he needed power. He knew he had the authority to rival the Conway ducal family within the Lepti Empire—the imperial power.

If he gained the Emperor’s trust and became a high-ranking officer, he would at least be able to protect his people from the family. Apart from the ducal family, he might even receive a new knighthood.

In truth, whether the family called him a Conway or not, Jasper didn’t care. But he worried they might harass Rose. No, he was sure his brother would try to sway Rose.

‘I need to eliminate all the risks.’

Rose Bell was incredibly fragile. How she managed to live with those thin arms and legs was a wonder. 

Moreover, she carried secrets that should never be exposed.

Strangely, Rose’s heart was the only strong thing about her. That’s probably how she held on until now.

‘After everything is resolved, and if she agrees to marry me, we’ll be safe.’